The Life in Your Years
by tktktk
Summary: For a prompt on LJ, " J/A in a week, a month, a year and a decade from now."


For a prompt on LJ, " J/A in a week, a month, a year and a decade from now."

**The Life in Your Years**

"_In the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years."_

_-Abraham Lincoln_

**One Week Later... **

Greendale was saved, at least for now. In the following days Jeff had been pretty busy. The school needed to be cleared of all excess Subway paraphernalia and Borchert had needed tending to. The Save Greendale Committee, now the Greendale Coordination Committee, still headed by their de-facto leader Annie, was given tasks, spreadsheets, and maps and had worked to return Greendale back to the second best community college it always had been.

But the work was done, and Jeff was sitting on his couch drinking his 2nd glass of scotch at 4 pm. He hadn't had anytime to think in the last week and now it was all he could do. He kept hearing the words in his head, "Milady?" "Milord." It was an ear worm. A song that couldn't be unstuck. He didn't know what to do about it...about anything.

He looked down at his phone laying next to him on the couch. It would be so easy to send off a text. Just feel her out at least. Things hadn't been awkward this past week, as far as he could tell. Things had actually gotten pretty much back to normal, or whatever version of normal was normal for Greendale.

He remembered her speech to the group though. Well, really it was to him. Maybe she was finally fed up with his constant wavering and it was her way of saying she was done? ...Now that he really thought about it, it was kind of confusing. At the time it seemed like an "If you love them, let them go" thing...

He picked up his phone and scrolled to her name in his texts. Finger hovering above the keyboard, he lost his nerve. There was always tomorrow.

* * *

Annie was tired. She had barely had any time to breathe since the discovery of that treasure map. She walked into her apartment, home, finally, from a meeting with the dean, and let out a loud sigh.

"Hey Annie," said Abed as he appeared out of the kitchen. He was in pajamas, carrying a bowl of buttered noodles. He walked over to the living room and settled into his armchair.

"Hi Abed. What's on for tonight?" She walked over and stood behind him.

"Rick and Morty!" He said cheerfully, clicking over to the channel.

"Oh cool...hey! Did you remember to...?"

"Yes Annie, Teen Wolf is being recorded as we speak."

He rolled his eyes, but she knew that on Saturday he'd be sitting right there with her watching werewolves battle the supernatural. She smiled and walked to her room, "Thanks Abed. I'm gonna take a bath. It's been a long week."

**One Month Later...**

He was nervous. Jeff Winger was nervous! She couldn't believe it.

She was surprised when he'd come over. Even more surprised when he asked her out. Seriously asked her out. He was nervous then too, but tonight it was making her feel giddy.

The night hadn't gone as planned. There was some accident downtown so they couldn't get to the restaurant, and when they decided to just go to the movies it was sold out. Jeff wasn't pleased.

"_Sold out? On a Tuesday? 100 people decided to come see Captain America on a Tuesday, four days after the release?"_

"_I'm sorry sir, that whole theatre was rented out tonight..."_

"_Jeff, it's fine. We'll go do something else."_

And here they were. Sitting in the baseball stands at Riverside High, eating cheeseburgers, under the stars. It was pretty romantic, if Annie did say so herself. And she did, because it had been her idea.

She knew he was nervous because 1) he was barely talking, and 2) he was actually eating the cheeseburger she'd made him get.

"I can't believe I got Jeff Winger to eat fast food." Maybe some good-natured teasing would make him feel better.

He smiled, "C'mon. You know exactly how well your disney eyes work on me. It's actually kind of manipulative." There was the Jeff Winger she knew.

She scoffed playfully, "I do not know to what you are referring!"

He smiled at her then. It was affectionate and sweet. It took her breath away.

* * *

She kept pointing out constellations. It was adorable. He wanted to be interested, and he was, sort of, but he couldn't stop thinking about kissing her. It had been four years, which now that he thought about it, was unacceptable and pretty unbelievable. He should win a medal. Although...maybe he needed a slap in the face. It hadn't been chivalrous, it had been cowardly. He planned to rectify it.

He looked down at her, cozied to his side, his arm around her shoulders. She was pointing to the sky, eyes lit up by the bright moonlight.

"Ooh! Look! That one's Virgo! See that bright star? That's Spica and if you..."

"Annie."

"...to the right there's like a head shape, she's lying down..."

"Annie."

"...Virgo represents powerful women in mythology like..."

She was on a tangent, so he reached down to tilt her head towards him, "Annie."

She let out a shaky breath, "Um...sorry...I took an Astronomy class last semester..."

Her words drifted off as he regarded her with serious eyes. His fingers brushed against her cheek. Their words came out as whispers.

"I'm really glad you brought me here, and that the movie was sold out. And that you said yes to me even though I've been an ass for four years."

She chuckled, "Yea you have...but I'm glad too."

Before he could continue, her lips pressed against his. Maybe she'd always kiss him first...maybe that's why this worked.

**One Year Later...**

"Jeff! Have you seen my planner? I could've sworn I left it right here!"

That was the frustrated voice, he had her right where he wanted her. He sidled up to the bedroom door and lifted up the book from behind his back,

"Oh...you mean...this one?" He smiled deviously.

"Yes that one! How many planners do I have?"

"Um. Like four?"

"Oh. Right. Well hand it over, I'm late for a meeting." She reached out for it, but he held it out of reach.

"Not so fast, Edison." She rolled her eyes and grabbed for it, but to her chagrin, he was still a foot taller than her.

"C'mon Jeff! I'm actually late." She put her hands on her hips and waited for him to cut to the chase.

"This...party tonight...I don't _have_ to go, right?" He looked equal parts pouty and conniving, but she knew this game.

"You're trying to get out of it by holding my planner hostage?" Damn, they'd been together too long.

"Maybe...Ugh. I just don't want to see everybody."

"Jeff, it may be the last time we see some of them! And you can't not go! It's _your _party!"

And so it was. A farewell dinner actually, in the glamorous Greendale cafeteria. He was finally moving on. They were moving on. Annie had a job set up in Washington, working for a medical examiner. She'd also be continuing school so she could become one. Jeff hadn't gotten an actual job yet, but there were plenty of interviews planned. Teaching jobs, law jobs, even a few management jobs.

Tonight was it. Well, for Greendale. Britta and Shirley had invited everyone. The dean, Chang, Duncan, Professor Whitman, Garrett, Starburns, Neil, etc, etc. Even Paradox had RSVP'd and they hadn't seen him since sophomore year. The study group had something planned for right before he and Annie left, but it was all starting tonight.

He looked down at the floor and sighed, handing her the planner, "I know. I just..."

"You're gonna miss everyone and you don't know how to deal with it?"

"...don't want the night to turn 'Greendale.' You know what'll happen. Paintball wars, endless games of the-floor-is-lava, dystopia, the ass crack bandit... One minute we'll be dancing, the next minute-armageddon!"

She gave him a sympathetic smile and wrapped her arms around his waist in a tight embrace. He hugged her back, and when she leaned away he kissed her slowly and then sighed. There was no point in lying anymore, he found that out long ago.

He relented, "I hate that I'm saying this...but I'm gonna miss those weirdos."

"I know, honey. And I know it's tough to say goodbye, but I promise you'll have a good time. And I also promise that no meteors will crash down on us while Aerosmith plays in the background."

"Don't make promises you can't keep, Annie. Remember last year when Abed thought that asteroid was going to come down right on the school? I know it burned up in the earth atmosphere, but people made bomb shelters!"

Luckily, there were no asteroids and no bomb-shelters made that night. Although, Annie did make Starburns play "I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing."

**Ten Years Later...**

Christmas had always been a bittersweet time for Jeff and Annie. Before Greendale, Jeff had spent many of them alone. Annie's parents had always fought, and she rarely got even a call when she moved out. At Greendale it was better, but they'd always had to deal with everyone being in claymation, or murderous glee coaches, or something equally crazy.

Christmas in the Edison-Winger house was a lot more sweet than bitter. Annie always went crazy decorating, even though her work schedule shouldn't have allowed it. The kids were always singing and stealing candy from the jar in the kitchen. This year, Rose had begun music lessons, adding hours of piano music to the usual din. Miles was in awe of his older sister, and was either listening intently from the couch or trying to sit next to her and play along.

Jeff wasn't working, so all the present wrapping duties had fallen to him. He was used to it though. Annie had tried to do it all for two years but how could she? He was happy that after Miles was born, she had conceded to his offer. He would stay at home with the kids, and she could continue with her dream job. Hell, she hadn't gone through seven years of school for nothing.

Truth be told, he liked being home. He was there for every important moment and every non-important one too. Sometimes he couldn't believe that he'd thought he'd end up like his father. He really couldn't believe that all of this had almost not happened.

He'd wasted four years being afraid of Annie. Afraid of how old he was. Afraid of messing up, afraid of not messing up. Afraid of commitment, afraid of his feelings. Afraid of living.

Sitting on his couch now, glass of scotch in hand, watching his incredibly tall, brown haired, blue eyed 8 year old daughter play piano; blonde haired, blue eyed, six year old son sitting next to her, he thought back ten years to that day. The hunt for buried treasure, the coked-out billionaire, the computer that had emotions, getting engaged to Britta...sometimes it seemed like a weird dream. Or a sitcom.

Just then, Annie came through the door. The kids rushed to hug her and she instructed them to go upstairs and get ready for bed. It was past their bedtime by an hour! And she gave Jeff a stern look before following them upstairs to change.

He went into the kitchen, poured a glass of wine and added a splash of scotch to his tumbler. When he went back to the living room, Annie came down the stairs in her pajamas and sat on the couch. They smiled at each other, affection radiating from them, filling the room in an invisible glow.

He offered her the glass, before sitting down next to her, "Milady?"

She took it, smiling, eyes as wide and shining as the day they met, "Milord."


End file.
